Jason Yormarkhttps://www.jasonyormark.com
marketing-tech-lifeWed, 20 Feb 2019 16:46:25 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3https://i2.wp.com/www.jasonyormark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-jason_yormark_logo_black_circle.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1Jason Yormarkhttps://www.jasonyormark.com
32323003758Google My Business Page: A Small Business Blueprinthttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/google-my-business-page/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/google-my-business-page/#respondWed, 20 Feb 2019 16:45:40 +0000https://www.jasonyormark.com/?p=1863A Google My Business page is a free and helpful tool that can help you put your business on the map and in view for potential customers looking for services like yours. Google My Business is an easy way to show customers your business name, location, hours and other information all in one place. It’s also […]

]]>A Google My Business page is a free and helpful tool that can help you put your business on the map and in view for potential customers looking for services like yours. Google My Business is an easy way to show customers your business name, location, hours and other information all in one place. It’s also a place where customers can leave reviews, which you can easily reply to and monitor.

A Google My Business page has many benefits. It can be a terrific way for potential customers to find you. But you must understand how to show up in search results. When people are searching for a service let’s use the example “frozen yogurt near me” they already know what type of product or service they want and they likely want it as soon as they can get to it. That makes it all the more important for your Google listing to be accurate and up to date.

Claim Your Google My Business Page

The first thing to do is to claim your business. To do that, log in to the Google Account you’ll want to use with your business. Create a Google account if you don’t have one and even if you do, consider creating one for your business use specifically to avoid confusion. Then, go to google.com/business and click “start now” in the top right-hand corner. Then on the next screen, enter your business name and address. Next, there will be two check boxes. Here, you’ll need to make two specifications so your listing is accurate. If your business is something where you go to your customer’s location, like a plumber or house cleaner, check the “I deliver goods and services to my customers” box. If you work out of your home and don’t want the address shown publicly, select “Hide my address (it’s not a store) Only show region.” Then, select your Delivery area if applicable. From there, select your business category as accurately as possible. Google offers many options so there’s likely to be something that will fit. Then you’re able to add a phone number and website.

PRO TIP: Make sure during setup you establish your service areas and choose multiple categories

Verify

After you’ve submitted all your business info and location, you’ll need to verify the listing. This step is very important for the performance of your business listing. Without verification, the listing can be taken down. It’s also very important for the visibility of your listing, as unverified businesses don’t show up at the top. There are several options for verification. The simplest is probably via regular mail as there is little room for mistakes. When you select this option, Google mails you a postcard that you’ll fill out with the address and send it back. By doing this, Google can easily confirm the business exists and you can send and receive mail there.

The postcard approach helps cut down on false or inaccurate listings. Once you get a returned postcard from Google after you send your information, you’ll get a code that you can verify the listing online with. Another verification option is by phone, though this will only appear for certain business. If you can choose this option, Google will send you a text with a code to verify the business with.

If your business is already set up with Google Search Console, which helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results, you can get instantly verified. But this isn’t an option for everyone. Once you pick which option to get verified, the process can take up to a week. It’s important to note that no business information or changes will show up until you get verified. You also can’t access any insights or analytical information until the Google My Business page verification occurs. See Google’s step-by-step on requesting ownership here.

Publishing

There are many resources within Google My Business that you can use within a listing to help you get the most out of your business page. If you’re wondering what to include, a good rule to them is to conclude as much information as you can. You don’t want to leave potential customers guessing. Communicate with potential customers exactly what your business does, specific services offered and hours of operation. Keywords are a crucial part of this. Make sure you include specific words about the type of business you have. For example, if you’re a pizza shop, include the word pizza within your descriptions.

Hours

One of the most important things to include is your hours of operation. Make sure they are as accurate as possible. If you change them seasonally, make sure you update them on your page. Customers will be very disappointed if they see one set of hours and arrive at your business to find out you’re closed or not opening for two hours. Google also lets you customize the listing for holidays, seasons or other events.

Add Photos

Here’s an interesting fact about images on your GMB listing straight from Google:

“Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for driving directions to their location from users on Google, and 35% more clicks through to their website than businesses that don’t have photos.”

People love photos! Google My Business makes it easy to add them to your page. Pictures help people click on your page and make it much more visually appealing. According to Google, business with photos listed receives 42 percent more requests for directions on Google Maps, meaning people are on their way to your business, and 35 percent more click-throughs to their websites than businesses that without photos, according to Google. Ideally, pictures should be at least 720 pixels wide by 720 pixels high and JPG or PNG files.

There are several types of photos that can be listed on your page. The first is your cover photo, which shows up front and center on your listing. Next, your profile photo is what appears when you reply to a review or make a comment. Typically, businesses use their logo for this so customers can be sure it’s someone reputable responding and commenting. You can also upload photos of the exterior of your business. This can help a customer find you by recognition. Interior photos can also be added so a potential customer can see the layout of your business to determine if it is what they are looking for. If your product speaks louder than the inside of your business, there is also a spot for that. You can upload photos of products you sell, daily specials or popular dishes as well.

Reviews

The reviews on your Google My Business page can be a deciding factor in whether or not a buyer engages with your brand. Check out some of these statistics about Local Consumer Reviews:

97% of consumers looked online for local businesses in 2017

85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

Positive reviews make 73% of consumers trust a local business more

68% of consumers left a local business review when asked

30% of consumers say they’ve judged a business based on its responses to reviews

When making a purchase decision, people look to others for their opinions. Interacting with customers can be a great way to get repeat visitors as well as new ones. Google My Business lets you respond to reviews that are left by customers. Interaction shows reputability to your customers and it can also help a disappointed customer change their mind. If someone has a negative experience, seeing a positive response or someone trying to make it right, that looks good for your business. Good reviews also increase your visibility in search results. It’s simple if people see lots of others are happy, they are very likely to come to see you! Make it easy for customers to review you by offering a small discount or something similar if you can.

Easy to Manage

Your Google My Business page is easy to manage and make changes. There is a mobile application so you can manage customer reviews from your phone. You can also edit business photos from the app or upload them right after taking them. Some more advanced tasks like deleting a page or giving ownership to someone else need to be done on a desktop page. But, the day-to-day tasks can be done right from a phone or tablet.

You can also view page analytics. This can be extremely helpful for you to see what types of post are successful or clicked on the most. If you find something is getting more clicks than others, you can do more or it, or less for the opposite. These analytics can be a very helpful tool for your business to be successful. You can also see how many people searched for you and measure it against how many people called you or visited. It also shows you how many people found your business and then searched for directions. The analytics tab can also show you what city or area within your city that people are coming from. This data can be a big help for targeting new customers or appealing to them as best you can.

A Google My Business page is a terrific tool for small businesses to engage with their customers and get noticed. Think of it as a way to get customers in the door without having to pay for a newspaper ad or radio spot. So many people use their smartphone to find a place to eat, shop or get a service done. It’s very easy to use and there is a lot of potential for making the page look good and service as a one-stop-shop for customers to see daily specials, give you awesome feedback and make sure they visit you when you’re open. Google My Business is an awesome tool for any type of small business.

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/google-my-business-page/feed/01863Free Small Business Tools You Can’t Misshttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/free-small-business-tools/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/free-small-business-tools/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 22:47:54 +0000https://www.jasonyormark.com/?p=1852Small businesses always face unique challenges that larger ones rarely have to think about. Throughout my entire career I’ve always had a passion for finding incredible free small business tools for owners to help with their marketing or operations. Small business owners have little time and little budget, so being able to find tools that […]

]]>Small businesses always face unique challenges that larger ones rarely have to think about. Throughout my entire career I’ve always had a passion for finding incredible free small business tools for owners to help with their marketing or operations. Small business owners have little time and little budget, so being able to find tools that help that cater to both can be a challenge. I spend an embarrassingly large amount of time browsing, researching and collecting such things and on occasion like to share my findings. So without further ado, here are 5 of the latest free small business tools you should definitely check out.

Calendly

Calendly – In your business are you continuously having to schedule appointments? Save yourself some emails back and forth and consider an app like Calendly. They have a free version that for most is plenty, and you can add an easy snippet of code to your website on your contact us page to allow visitors to schedule appointments with you. The app connects to your office applications of choice to provide users only the times you are available and instantly puts scheduled appointments on your calendar.

Feedly

Feedly – I’ve become a heavy user of Feedly over the years. I spend a lot of time reading and looking for great content and resources, and Feedly is my go to in order to be able to quickly and easily skim through hundreds of articles and read, organize and tag as needed. Simply identify websites or blogs that you frequent, add them in, and you have a one stop location where all your content is brought in. You can also search for other topics and browse other sites to add. I use Feedly as frequently as I do any other tool in my arsenal. It should absolutely should be in yours.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest – I’m a big fan of Neil Patel. The guy just churns out incredible content at a dizzying pace, but more importantly, he’s put out a great free keyword tool that displaces having to deal with Google’s Ad platform. Ubersuggest is an incredibly easy tool to research keywords and competitors websites for keyword ideas for your marketing usage. Blog posts, social media content, videos, you name it. The name of the game is being found online, and it all starts with identifying relevant keywords that aren’t overly competitive that you can rank for.

Unsplash

Unsplash – The problem with free stock photos sites is typically, the photos SCREAM stock. Not Unsplash. It’s a curated community of photo takers and enthusiasts who have agreed to share high quality photos for your use…all completely free. The biggest reason I love Unsplash is that the photos don’t look stock at all. They are a great resource for any of your content needs.

Mixkit

Mixkit – Similar to Unsplash, Mixkit is a resource for free high quality 4k stock video for your video projects…that don’t look free. While they don’t have an enormous library to choose from yet, you can’t beat the quality and…well, the freeness.

That’s my list of free small business tools you can’t miss these days. What are yours?

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/free-small-business-tools/feed/01852The No Nonsense Free CRM Solution You’ve Been Waiting Forhttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/the-no-nonsense-free-crm-solution-youve-been-waiting-for/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/the-no-nonsense-free-crm-solution-youve-been-waiting-for/#respondWed, 02 Jan 2019 23:03:30 +0000https://www-jasonyormark-com.jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1770This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SharpSpring CRM. All opinions are 100% mine. In my 20+ year marketing career, the most powerful and necessary tool by far has been CRM. The technology has changed (for the better), but the core principles remain; if you don’t take tracking your marketing and […]

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SharpSpring CRM. All opinions are 100% mine.

In my 20+ year marketing career, the most powerful and necessary tool by far has been CRM. The technology has changed (for the better), but the core principles remain; if you don’t take tracking your marketing and sales efforts seriously, you’re destined for failure. You can have the greatest product, content, people, etc., but without an engine powering all those day to day efforts, you’re going to lose out on business.

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but there are so many choices, and often many of them are never a good fit. Finding the right CRM for your small business is no easy task, and I’ve spent years working with a variety of them. In most cases, businesses don’t make the right choice often going with the most common known names in the game which are typically more than what they need, and spending thousands of dollars more than they should.

So how much should a small business pay for a CRM with the needed marketing tools to grow the pipeline? How’s about FREE?

Words like free or no cost typically turn off business owners because the expectation is that either you’re getting something very sub-par, or a bait and switch where you’ll get barebones service out of the gate and get hammered with expensive add-ons.

For the past few weeks I’ve been testing and using the free version of SharpSpring CRM and I’m incredibly impressed with what I’m seeing so far. I can confidently recommend them as a solid CRM solution for small businesses for some very key reasons.

1. They have history. SharpSpring is not new to the game. They’ve been around for 5+ years and have more than 1,500 agencies and 7,000 businesses that currently use them to manage their sales and marketing CRM with affordable marketing automation (similar platform to HubSpot, Marketo and Pardot)​.

2. The free sales CRM version is more than you’d expect. SharpSpring CRM offers pipeline management, lead scoring, sales reports, instant notifications, appointment scheduler, mail sync with platforms like Gmail and Outlook, and much more.

3. Incredible community and support. I love when companies not only provide timely, helpful support, but having an active community of users not only validates the product, but provides another avenue of support.

4. The user experience is fantastic. Often times, CRM solutions can be bloated, ugly and difficult to use. One of the things I love most about SharpSpring CRM is how despite there being plenty of features, it always feels light and easy to use. This is incredibly important for small business users to quickly and easily be able to manage their customer relationships within the platform and never feeling like it’s a chore.

5. Integrations and extensions. Another sign of a solid CRM solution is how flexible and extensible it is. Being able to work with the technology you already use is critical so that you’re not having to reinvent the wheel with how you do what you already do. Thankfully SharpSpring has plenty of integrations and extensions that can take advantage of what you’re already using.

Finding a free CRM for small businesses that not only is useable as a free product, but also fits the bill across the board is a pretty rare thing. SharpSpring CRM has really impressed me thus far, and I highly recommend any small to medium sized business seriously consider their platform and take it for a spin. There’s no risk, and set-up is a breeze. Regardless of what direction you go with your CRM technology, the most important thing is that as a business, you integrate CRM period. Otherwise you’re missing out on new opportunities.

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/the-no-nonsense-free-crm-solution-youve-been-waiting-for/feed/01770The First Time Author Guide To Publishing A Bookhttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/first-time-author-guide-to-publishing-a-book/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/first-time-author-guide-to-publishing-a-book/#respondWed, 19 Sep 2018 22:20:43 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1546If you are a first time author, or aspire to be, strap in and bookmark this blog article, because I’m going to give you the straight shit about everything I experienced as a first time author. From pre-planning all the way to post distribution, I’m going to share every single thing I’ve learned in hopes […]

]]>If you are a first time author, or aspire to be, strap in and bookmark this blog article, because I’m going to give you the straight shit about everything I experienced as a first time author. From pre-planning all the way to post distribution, I’m going to share every single thing I’ve learned in hopes that this can act as a resource to help others make the right or better decisions along their first time author journeys.

But first, a little backstory. I was a stone’s throw away from going to film school back in the mid 90s, but ultimately decided to stick with my public university education. I think about that alternative path quite often, but regardless, have always had numerous ideas for movies or tv shows. Over the past 20 years I would right out a synopsis of these ideas, but usually that was about it. The ideas evolved, some merged, and in 2017, I finally figured out a path to doing something with one of them…thus my novel MIRRORS was born.

It was an incredibly arduous task taking vast amounts of dedication and determination to see it through. I was helped by the fact that my journey was not financially motivated, so I took the time necessary to get the story right and make good decisions along the way. I learned quite a bit and below are some of those learnings that I hope may help others in their journeys to becoming a published author.

Self-Assess. Figure out what you have and what you’ll need. This is a very important step. You need to determine what skills and resources you have available to you during this process, and where you’re going to need assistance. In my case, I knew that I was a great story creator, but I was going to need some help with fleshing out scene descriptions. My brain visualizes things as movies, not books, so I needed to find a good writer/editor who I could lean on to help fill in some of the gaps. I knew if needed, I could handle designing a book cover, and I definitely could market the book myself. Make sure you go through this personal inventory so you can plan accordingly.

Find Your Daily Writing Hour. Writing a book is HARD! It requires an incredibly level of dedication and persistence…especially for a first timer. You have to write every day, or at the very least, every weekday. And in order to do so, find your writing hour. Find the time during the day where you can unplug and concentrate on writing for at least an hour. Build the habit, stick with it, and you’ll be much more likely to reach the finish line.

Determine Your Publishing Path. Look, as a first time author, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to find a publisher for your book. That being said, here’s the breakdown of the different types of publishers I was able to experience as a reference point:

Traditional – As a first time author, it’s not likely you’re going to be able to land a traditional publisher, but it’s worth noting that it does happen. Usually it involves knowing someone, having a tremendous story/book idea, and/or incredible tenacity in your pursuit. Probably all 3. In most cases, you’re better off with one of the other options.

Hybrid – A hybrid publisher is a blend of traditional and self-publishing. Typically a hybrid publisher will help you with a variety of book tasks such as design, editing, printing, marketing, distribution…they all vary in what they offer, but they all usually involve you still being heavily involved in many areas of the development of the book, and in most cases having to still invest in the creation and distribution of it. Hybrid publishers are as stringent as traditional, but will still be selective in who they work with. This is a tough area to navigate because some of these are just looking to have you spend some dollars with them to print copies of your book and are not true partners.

Self-Publishing – For many first time authors, self-publishing is the most available option. There’s nothing getting in your way other than yourself. It’s more work, and requires a bit of leg work, but at the end of the day, you can have your book, out in the wild as available as any other book that has or will be published.

Crowdsourcing. Perhaps you just don’t have the funds to make a book happen. Or you just need a little kick in the butt and need some accountability to fuel the process. For me the latter was the case, but regardless of yours, crowdsourcing can be a great way to help make your book a reality. Their are traditional crowdsourcing tools like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, but I stumbled across a nifty little alternative called Publishizer which is geared specifically for books and authors. It’s an interesting platform and for the most part, I had a positive experience pre-selling 250+ copies before I had even put pen to paper. However I don’t recommend that approach as I learned the hard way. In addition to being able to crowdsource your book, Publishizer connects you to potential publishers if you’re able to put together a good proposal and show a high level of interest of your book through pre-sales. The best approach is to be at least a good way into your project before launching a campaign so that you have something to show folks as well as potential interested publishers.

Have some sort of budget. Unless you’re one of the lucky few to somehow snag a traditional publisher as a first time author, you’re going to need some money to see this through. There are ways to keep your cost down, but you’re going to have to plan for a variety of hard costs such as:

Marketing. Speaking of marketing, whether you’re comfortable with it or not, you’re going to have to become your own best marketer. Especially if you factor in crowdsourcing.

Social media – It goes without saying that you’ll need to leverage your social media accounts to promote your book. Even beyond just posting to your channels, connecting with other first time authors, finding potential early readers to your book…you need to be an active participating and join in on the conversations with the audiences that make sense and align to the type of book you are writing.

Email – By far, email is going to be your most effective tool for selling copies of your book. You need to find every single email address you have of anyone you’ve ever been connected to, and send templated (but still personalized) emails asking support for what you’re doing. This by far netted me the most amount of book sales along the way.

Blog/Website – You’ve got to have some sort of landing page or destination for what you’re doing that you can point people to. Even better is regularly blogging about your author journey and providing folks insights into your work and what you are experiencing.

Facebook Messenger – Another great tool almost as good as email is directly messaging your Facebook Friends. Anything personal and one to one is going to be much more effective in follow through. Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortably pestering. Most of the time people are interested, but just busy and need a reminder.

Special Offers – This typically applies only if you crowdsource, but package your books with other giveaways, services or extras that are unique to you or the story. This allows you to sell more books to people by packaging them with other things that are of value. Doing this single handedly contributed to over half of my pre-sales.

Fiverr. Sometimes the Fiverr marketplace can get a bad rap as some people think it’s cheap labor so cheap quality. I’ve had great success in using Fiverr as a tool for small tasks such as help in designing small things, finding folks to read, edit or critique, or provide any technical help I needed along the way. It’s fast, affordable, and a very reliable source for tasks you need support with.

You’re going to need an editor. No matter how talented you are with language or the written word, you’re going to need another set of eyes on your work, and someone who’s got the patience, experience and know how to help make sure your book reads as well as it can and with as little to no errors as possible. I learned this the hard way. I wish I had spent a bit more in this area, because it is a very tedious task and requires someone who really knows what they are doing.

Formulate a book team. Everyone needs help in a variety of ways, and having a few of your closest, trusted friends, family or colleagues along the way can make a huge difference. Identify 3-5 folks in your closest inner circle that can act as your book team. They’ll help you proof, give opinions, but most importantly be your advocates along the way in helping spread the word. Make sure you set aside the right thank yous (preferably in the book!) and rewards for their time and effort.

These are all the things that helped me publish my first book. By no means an exhaustive list of everything, but certainly the things that stand out that took me from idea to finished book. It was never about money for me and all about just the accomplishment, so it’s hard to say if I’d do it again, but I do have multiple story ideas that I desperately want to tell, so I figure it’s just a matter of time before I take it on once more.

I hope that this was helpful to anyone out there considering writing a book. Regardless of whether you’re in the idea stage, the writing stage, or successfully published yourself, I’d love to hear about your stories in the comments below or feel free to reach out directly to share or ask any questions you have.

In the meantime, if you have any interest in seeing what the finished product of MIRRORS turned out to be, I’d love for you to give it a read!

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/first-time-author-guide-to-publishing-a-book/feed/01546Marketing Job Hunting In Your 40s: 5 Things I’ve Learnedhttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/marketing-job-hunting/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/marketing-job-hunting/#commentsMon, 10 Sep 2018 16:26:48 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1558Hindsight is always 20/20, but I often wonder if I had the opportunity to go back in time and advise my younger self on a career path, what would I tell him? Hair care aside, I almost always think to choose something other than marketing. In the past when I would look at my career […]

]]>Hindsight is always 20/20, but I often wonder if I had the opportunity to go back in time and advise my younger self on a career path, what would I tell him? Hair care aside, I almost always think to choose something other than marketing. In the past when I would look at my career path, I would always stress about the fact that I had too many stops along the way…some my own doing, some not. But what’s been interesting during my last marketing job hunting exercise is the realization that the journey has certainly been the norm when compared to others in the profession. When looking at most marketing folks on LinkedIn, seeing quite a bit of short term job experiences is quite common. While it certainly made me feel a bit better about my path, it still can be frustrating to be in a profession that has so much volatility.

It gets harder. Getting older doesn’t help in the job search. The reality is the # of roles is less because in most cases there’s less higher level roles then entry level/mid-tier ones. Not to mention that the current state of marketing is trending much more digital which sometimes can lead companies to wanting to go younger.

The marketing profession is extremely volatile. Marketing can tend to be a flavor of the month kind of thing. The best analogy I can make is like owning a car. You can be 5 years into having a car…works fine, still looks good, gets the job done…but you can’t help but think there might be a better car for you out there that looks better, performs better…is just different. I’m no stranger to being in situations where I was a top performer, but over time the company simply wanted to go in a different direction, try something different. The numbers don’t lie. Just do a casual LinkedIn search on marketing professionals and you’ll rarely see anyone in any role or company for long periods of time. As long as you go into a marketing career path with realistic expectations about frequent movement, you’ll be OK.

You’re on your own. No matter the size or quality of your network, for the most part, this is a solo journey. Sure, someone might help make a connection here and there, and sometimes you might score based on a relationship you have, but in most cases, and certainly along most of the way, you’re on your own and you better be ready to own it. You have to be prepared, relentless, patient and have the mental fortitude to own your job hunt and realize that you make your own breaks.

The odds are stacked against you. These days, you’re competing against hundreds of other candidates for the same roles. Even if you are incredibly qualified for something, chances are, there’s plenty of others that are as well. The days of resumes and cover letters are just not enough any more. You need to be bold, creative and somehow unique in your approach to the jobs you apply to.

Be picky. Of all the things I’ve learned later in life, this was the hardest to come to terms with. The old adage was, the more you applied to, the more chances you’ve got at something. I actually disagree. By over-applying, you’re doing yourself a disservice in a couple ways. For one, you’re probably not putting your best foot forward because you’re spread too thin trying to apply to everything which in turn makes you an easy “no”. The second is that you’re probably applying to jobs that aren’t the best fit if you really dig in to it. By scaling back the # of jobs you apply to and really forcing yourself to only apply to ones that truly excite you, you’ll be much better off by spending more time on less, and putting yourself in a much better position for a response.

Marketing job hunting is a grind and you go through many periods of doubt and frustration, but the fact is most folks have something unique to give and you just have to get creative in how you present that. Great opportunities can be rare and they don’t always align to your life’s schedule. Treat your personal brand like you’d treat a product or service…always be marketing.

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/marketing-job-hunting/feed/21558Facebook for Small Business Owners – 5 Killer Tipshttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/facebook-for-small-business-owners-5-killer-tips/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/facebook-for-small-business-owners-5-killer-tips/#respondThu, 02 Aug 2018 15:55:23 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1617By now, most small business owners are well aware that using the social media can be crucial for getting your message out to the masses, and for engaging with your target audience to promote brand recognition and loyalty. Most are also probably aware of the fact that Facebook is the 800lb. gorilla when it comes […]

]]>By now, most small business owners are well aware that using the social media can be crucial for getting your message out to the masses, and for engaging with your target audience to promote brand recognition and loyalty. Most are also probably aware of the fact that Facebook is the 800lb. gorilla when it comes to social media marketing, simply because it has more than 1.5 billion users who login on a daily basis.

While many of the tips for the best ways to make use of Facebook for small business owners are pretty widely known, there are some hidden gems that can really take it to the next level. Below are described some tips which have managed to avoid the Top 10 lists, but which can still be very effective as part of your overall social media strategy.

1. Post images to Facebook through InstagramWhy? Because images posted to Facebook via Instagram garner an impressive 23% more engagement than those images simply posted directly to Facebook. In a colossal study conducted by Buzzsumo, more than one billion posts to Facebook, sourced from three million different branding pages, were assessed in terms of the numbers of shares, comments, and likes for each route. The clear winner, particularly in the category of ‘likes’, was posting to Facebook via Instagram. If you’re looking for better engagement on Facebook, try using the indirect route to see if your own results match these.

2. Facebook posts without hashtags out-perform posts with hashtagsEngagement with your audience is the name of the game when you’re trying to build a following on Facebook, so anything that helps in that regard is worth a try. The same Buzzsumo study of Facebook posts which revealed the greater popularity of non-native postings, has documented another counter-intuitive finding – that Facebook posts lacking hashtags generate better engagement, by nearly 30%, than those which include them. While using hashtags is basically the standard technique for categorizing posts in Twitter and Instagram, it’s not nearly so well accepted in Facebook, most likely due to the fact that of the difference in audiences. This does point up the fact that you shouldn’t be posting the same content to all the social media platforms in your marketing strategy, and that it’s prudent to tailor content to each specific platform.

3. More than half of Facebook users are mobile-onlyKnowing that more than half of Facebook’s 1.5 billion users rely on mobile logins only, you should be taking advantage of that fact as a small business owner. All of your posts, including text, images, and video, should be customized for the best possible representation on smaller screens, so that data doesn’t get truncated or otherwise mis-represented, causing your message to be lost or watered down. Your website should also be completely responsive for mobile devices, since your Facebook posts may direct followers to your site for more content.

4. The general Facebook audience is maturingNo, they aren’t getting more sophisticated, they’re getting older – and that means the content you post on Facebook should reflect that, otherwise you may be missing a hefty segment of the Facebook population with your message. In a study of Facebook users around the globe, AdWeek discovered some interesting facts, the first of which was that there are 17% more Facebook users in western countries who are over the age of 40 than there are in less developed countries. Secondly, only about 33% of western country Facebook users are less than 30 years old, whereas in eastern areas like India and Indonesia, that figure is closer to 75%.

5. Usage of Facebook Messenger is boomingAs of the beginning of 2018, usage of Facebook Messenger was right around the one billion mark, which is a clear indication that people are making greater use of private communications on the platform. The stated mission of the Messenger product, according to Facebook, is to make it the best vehicle in the world for communication between individuals and businesses – and it seems like that objective is very reachable. What this means in terms of Facebook for small business owners, is that you should be engaging with people through this extremely popular channel. In the quest to reach the widest possible audience, knowing where to look is the first important component.

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/facebook-for-small-business-owners-5-killer-tips/feed/01617Stock Photo Sites To Fuel Your Social Media Contenthttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/best-stock-photo-sites/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/best-stock-photo-sites/#respondTue, 17 Jul 2018 20:05:23 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1608Finding reliable stock photo sites with great images for all of your social media and content marketing needs can sometimes be quite the pain. Whether it’s finding images that relate specifically to your content, or you just want something that doesn’t scream STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY! Regardless, it goes without saying that every post you make on […]

]]>Finding reliable stock photo sites with great images for all of your social media and content marketing needs can sometimes be quite the pain. Whether it’s finding images that relate specifically to your content, or you just want something that doesn’t scream STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY! Regardless, it goes without saying that every post you make on social media should not be without a visual to go along with it. Not convinced? Check out these stats:

Over the years I’ve spent countless hours researching different stock photo sites for great images, and while it can be enticing to just do a Google search for what you need, you don’t want to get into copyright issues. So without further ado, below are the top 5 sources I’ve found (paid and free) to source your social and content marketing image needs.

Pixabay (free) – Pixabay is packed with well over a million public domain images – not only photos, but also illustrations, vector graphics, and even a handful of videos. Its selection of landscape photography is particularly strong, and the Editor’s Choice is well worth a look if you don’t have something specific in mind.

Pexels (free) – Anyone is welcome to upload photos to Pexels, and the site’s curators will pick out the best shots to populate its searchable collection of public domain images. You can search for something specific, or browse by themes including pastimes, emotions, and locations.

Unsplash (free) – Unsplash is a well curated collection of beautiful photos donated by skilled photographers, and has been used to create some incredible work. There are fewer images than you’ll find on Pixabay or Pexels, but the quality is more consistent and less “stock” looking.

iStock (paid) – iStockphoto (now iStock) by Getty Images isone of the oldest and largest stock photo agencies around (started in 2000). They sell images by credits and subscription plans and offer some of the highest-end stock images to choose from, especially if you decide that you occasionally need a really unique image.

Shutterstock (paid) – Shutterstock offers both image credits and subscription options for stock photo buyers. Shutterstock image collection is one of the largest, with over 84 million royalty free images, but it is on the higher end of pricing.

While there are many more stock photo sites then this out there for this sort of thing, I’ve found myself going back to these 5 on regular occasions based on my specific needs. You won’t go wrong adding these to your bookmarks for image sourcing not matter what your particular image needs are. Good luck!

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/best-stock-photo-sites/feed/01608Are Marketing Conferences Worth It?https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/are-marketing-conferences-worth-it/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/are-marketing-conferences-worth-it/#respondTue, 05 Jun 2018 21:52:28 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1581Over the past 20 years I’ve attended my fair share of marketing conferences. Big ones, small ones, close ones, far away ones. Every one of them share much of the same experiences, but also their own differences, which usually end up being the reason attending one vs. another is worth it. Here are 5 reasons […]

]]>Over the past 20 years I’ve attended my fair share of marketing conferences. Big ones, small ones, close ones, far away ones. Every one of them share much of the same experiences, but also their own differences, which usually end up being the reason attending one vs. another is worth it.

You’ll learn something. No matter what your level of experience or expertise, no one knows everything, especially when it comes to marketing. Everything evolves at a rapid pace in the marketing world, and conferences are a great opportunity to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology, strategy and execution.

You’ll meet new people. Duh. The real question is whether you will make meaningful connections vs. just having a good time at the conference parties and social events. While the latter certainly serves a purpose, making long term connections out of those you meet at conferences takes planning, work and preparation. No matter how good a conference is, this is an area you stand to benefit from if you own it.

You’ll pick up good public speaking tips & tricks. If you are a professional marketer or even a business owner, public speaking can be a great way to increase your brand’s visibility. Anytime I attend a conference I’m paying as much attention to the speaker’s presentation style, delivery and execution as I am the content they are sharing. I’ve learned a ton by doing this including what and what not to do.

A break from routine. I’ve always found having a few conferences spread out during the year are a great way to force yourself to get away from the everyday routines we grow so accustomed to. It’s good to take a break and interact, learn and socialize with others in your industry and in most cases it provides a great re-charge to come back to.

Content. For most marketers and businesses, we’re always clamoring for good content to share as part of our overall marketing strategy, and showing a commitment to attending industry events and sharing those learnings can go a long way towards building credibility and influence.

Often times it can be hard to find good conferences that don’t cost an arm and a leg not only to attend, but travel to. Being on the west coast, we don’t get as many as I’d like, but one that has caught my attention that I look forward to attending is the Swivel Digital Marketing Conference being held in Bend, Oregon October 8-9, 2018. Aside from what I hear is a very cool town to visit, the conference has gotten rave reviews as being a well attended, more intimate setting to give folks a great opportunity to hit on all of the points above. I’m looking forward to attending for the first time this year and plan to share my experiences in detail.

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/are-marketing-conferences-worth-it/feed/01581Socialistics & The Miracle Leaguehttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/socialistics-miracle-league/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/socialistics-miracle-league/#respondMon, 21 May 2018 15:00:51 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1574Do you believe in miracles? A few weeks ago I had a very influential experience at my son’s little league game, and I’ll let the video below tell the story. Just know that Socialistics is partnering with The Miracle League, a non-profit organization providing opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball, to raise money for […]

A few weeks ago I had a very influential experience at my son’s little league game, and I’ll let the video below tell the story. Just know that Socialistics is partnering with The Miracle League, a non-profit organization providing opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball, to raise money for this incredible cause. For every like on our Facebook page and/or follow on our LinkedIn page through June 8th, we’re donating a $1 to the Miracle League.

Please take a moment to hear my story and help raise some money for this incredible organization!

]]>https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/socialistics-miracle-league/feed/01574Experiential Marketing: What Retail Needs To Stay Alivehttps://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/experiential-marketing-retail-needs-stay-alive/
https://www.jasonyormark.com/blog/experiential-marketing-retail-needs-stay-alive/#respondWed, 24 Jan 2018 18:25:16 +0000http://jyormarkblog.wpengine.com/?p=1555I remember growing up as a kid and how exciting it would be to walk into a Toys-R-Us and the onslaught of every toy imaginable. Of course this was the 80s, and outside of television commercials, it was the only way to know what was out there. Sadly, like many other victims of the Amazon […]

]]>I remember growing up as a kid and how exciting it would be to walk into a Toys-R-Us and the onslaught of every toy imaginable. Of course this was the 80s, and outside of television commercials, it was the only way to know what was out there. Sadly, like many other victims of the Amazon takeover, our old friend is dying a slow death:

Toys “R” Us Inc said on Tuesday it will shut about one-fifth of its stores in the United States in the coming months, as the toy store chain tries to emerge from one of the largest ever bankruptcies by a specialty retailer. The closure of about 180 U.S. stores will begin in early February and continue until mid-April, Chief Executive David Brandon said in a letter on its website. (Reuters)

For the past few years, I would drive by one of their stores in the neighborhood, and can remember thinking and saying often that it was just a matter of time before that store closed. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make a conclusion like that with Amazon, Walmart, and a myriad of other companies killing it online. But it didn’t have to be this way. The bottom line is that Toys-R-Us has failed miserably to adapt. The store you walk into now is practically the same tired old experience from 30 years ago. Nothing has really changed.

There are plenty or articles out there saying that traditional retail is dead which I disagree with. Yes, there are plenty of instances of retail chains closing their doors, but that’s not because people aren’t willing to put the mouse down and do things the old fashioned way. That’s where Experiential Marketing comes in. These companies have failed to evolve and give people a reason to shop offline. I practically always prefer to do my shopping online, but if a store gives me a reason to visit, I’ll make the trip. Traditional retail stores need to provide experiences, and not just sell product.

Toys-R-Us totally missed this and quite frankly I’m shocked by it. Talk about an incredible missed opportunity. What better environment to create meaningful, engaging, memorable experiences then a toy store?! Re-vamp your stores to create fun toy experiences for kids and adults…move away from your traditional shelved merchandising layout, and create stations and events, and experiences. Stop trying to be everything to everyone and assess which products you can realistically compete with and what kids are into these days. There’s so much that could have happened here over the years for them to really differentiate themselves and give people reasons to go to there stores. Host video game competitions, arts and crafts sessions. Hell, partner with some Kickstarter toy/game inventors to offer some exclusives and first looks…the list goes on and on.

But alas, they are falling victim to the evolve or die fate. It’s sad to see brands I grew up with as a kid fail to keep up with the times, but at the same time, it’s exciting to see how technology is making our lives more informative and easier. However there’s no reason we can’t have both the benefits and efficiencies that technology provide us in online environments along with getting to keep some of those traditional retail experiences. Companies just have to think differently and incorporate more experiential marketing into their plans.

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